Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Group - As - Intgrs2
Group - As - Intgrs2
1.3.8 Prove that (a, b) = 1 if and only if there is no prime p such that p|a and p|b.
We know that (a, b) = 1 if and only if the only positive integer which divides
both a and b is 1. Thus there can obviously be no prime (because 1 is not
prime) which divides both a and b. If, on the other hand, no prime divides both
a and b, then we can assume that no other number besides 0, −1, and 1 divide
both a and b. This is because any divisor other than 0, 1, or −1 must have a
prime factorization and is thus itself divisible by a prime, whence both a and
b are as well (if p|c, c|a, and c|b, then p|a and p|b). Again because (a, b) = 1 if
and only if the only positive integer which divides both a and b is 1, we must
now have that (a, b) = 1.
1.3.20 (a) Prove that there are no nonzero integers a, b such that a2 = 2b2 .
√
(b) Prove that 2 is irrational.
√
If 2 is not irrational,
√ then it must be rational, i.e. there exists a, b ∈ Z
such that a/b = 2. This of course would imply that√ a2 /b2 = 2 or a2 = 2b2 .
We proved in part (a) that this can never happen, so 2 must be irrational.
1
one does not allow negative primes, then 34 gives a nice counter example.
We can stop here because using larger squares would require negative primes.
2.1.14 If a ≡ 2 (mod 4), prove that there are no integers c and d such that a = c2 − d2 .
If a ≡ 2 (mod 4), then there is a t ∈ Z such that a − 2 = 4t. Now 2|4 and
2|2, so 2|a. If there exists c, d ∈ Z such that a = c2 − d2 , then this means
that 2|(c2 − d2 ). Factor c2 − d2 as (c − d)(c + d). Because 2 is prime, it must
divide either (c + d) or (c − d), which means that one of them must be even.
But if c + d is even, then so is c − d (either c and d are both even, or they
are both odd, and in both cases c − d must be even as well). If c − d is even,
then we may similarly conclude that c + d is even. This means that 2|(c + d)
and 2|(c − d), or that 4|(c + d)(c − d) = c2 − d2 . We conclude that 4|a. This
gives a contradiction, however, because if 4|a, then 4 must divide 2 (recall that
a − 4t = 2). We conclude that no such c and d exist.
2.1.20 If [a] = [1] in Zn , prove that (a, n) = 1. Show by example that the converse
may be false.
If [a] = [1] in Zn , then a ≡ 1 (mod n), that is, there exists a t ∈ Z such that
a − 1 = tn. We proved in class that there are u, v ∈ Z such that ua + vn = 1
if and only if (a, n) = 1. Since u = 1 and v = −t do the trick (a − tn = 1 from
above), we conclude that (a, n) = 1.
Note, on the other hand, that (2, 3) = 1, but [2] 6= [1] in Z3 because 2 6≡
1 (mod 3), i.e., 2 − 1 = 1 is not a multiple of 3.
2.1.28 Prove or disprove: If c ≡ a (mod r) and c ≡ b (mod s), then a ≡ b (mod (r, s)).
2
Given the conditions outlined above, we have that there exist m, n ∈ Z such
that c − a = nr and c − b = ms. Thus a − b = c − nr − (c − ms) = −nr + ms.
Because (r, s) divides both r and s, it divides −nr + ms, and hence (r, s)|a − b.
That simply means that a ≡ b (mod (r, s)) as required.
ApB.16 List all the subsets of {1, 2}. Do the same for {1, 2, 3}, and {1, 2, 3, 4}. Make a
conjecture as to the number of subsets of an n-element set.
(b) Give an example of the situation in part (a) in which g is not injective.
3
r n −1
Let P (n) be the statement that 1 + r + r2 + r3 + · · · + rn−1 = r−1
. We will
prove, using induction, that P (t) is true for all n ≥ 1.
r 1 −1
Note that P (1) is the statement that 1 = r−1
, which is obviously true when
r 6= 1.
So suppose that for some t > 1, the statement P (t) is known to be true. Our
goal is to show that P (t + 1) must be true. Because P (t) holds, we know
t −1
that 1 + r + r2 + r3 + · · · + rt−1 = rr−1 . Add rt to both sides to obtain:
t t t t
−1
1 + r + r2 + r3 + · · · + rt−1 + rt = rr−1 −1
+ rt . Of course, rr−1 −1
+ rt = rr−1 + (r−1)r
r−1
=
r t −1+r t+1 −r t r t+1 −1 2 3 t−1 t
rr−1
= r−1 . Thus we see that 1 + r + r + r + · · · + r +r =
r t −1 t rt+1 −1
r−1
+ r = r−1 , that is, that P (t + 1) is true. By induction we conclude that
P (n) is true for all n ≥ 1.
ApC.12 True of false: n2 − n + 11 is prime for every nonegative integer n. Justify your
answer.
This is not true. The smallest positive counter example is n = 11. Here
112 − 11 + 11 = 112 and 112 is not prime. The answer of smallest magnitude is
n = −10. In this case (−10)2 − (−10) + 11 = 121 = 112 .